Tag: Texans minicamp

DE Jerry Hughes still feels young, credits the Texans’ training, nutrition staffs

Houston Texans DE Jerry Hughes is entering his 14th NFL season, but credits the training and nutrition staffs for being able to keep up.

Jerry Hughes doesn’t know how he is able to do it.

The 34-year-old defensive end was able to move about and keep pace with his younger teammates at Houston Texans mandatory minicamp June 13-14. Despite the heat, Hughes was able to glide on the playing surface at Houston Methodist Training Center.

“God is good,” Hughes said. “But still able to kind of move around with these young guys in this heat. It’s been quite a blessing.”

Longevity in the NFL isn’t as much luck as it is being able to take care of one’s body, and Hughes recognizes the Texans provide the resources to extend, not just his career, but the quality.

One of the key pieces is nutrition led by director of team wellness Ladd Harris and implemented by assistant director of performance nutrition Jacob Mertins and performance nutrition coordinator Amy Johnson.

“I mean, we got a really good staff here,” said Hughes. “What they do as far as in the kitchen, getting us to refuel our bodies, they’re always giving us every bit of information we can to take as far as what to put in it.”

Sports medicine is led by director of Texans health Geoff Kaplan with Roland Ramirez serving as director of player care and sports medicine.

“The training staff, they do a fantastic job of any kind of bumps, bruises, tight muscles, whatever you name, they can work it out and fix it for you,” Hughes said. “I lean heavy on them because we got one of the best staffs here in the NFL. When you got that in-house, it’s hard to kind of miss game days. That’s really what you want to optimize.”

The former Indianapolis Colts 2010 first-round pick led Houston with 9.0 sacks through 17 games last year, 16 of which he started.

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LB Denzel Perryman is excited about chemistry Texans are building

Linebacker Denzel Perryman is enthused concerning the chemistry that the Houston Texans have forged throughout the offseason.

A plurality of fans around the NFL recognize the Houston Texans as a young team of up-and-comers who are led by a first-year head coach with plenty of potential to improve on the failed campaigns of yore.

What most don’t know, though, is that Houston has quietly assembled a group of veterans to lead their inexperienced talent to new heights in 2023 and beyond. Linebacker Denzel Perryman, who signed with the Texans as a free agent after stints with the Los Angeles Chargers, Carolina Panthers, and Las Vegas Raiders told reporters about the building chemistry within the Texans organization after mandatory minicamp on June 14.

Said Perryman: “Me and [OL] Shaq Mason were just talking about this the other day as we were eating. We were out, and I was just like, ‘Bro, I’ve been a part of some teams that had the roster.’ Just, the chemistry that we all have, and it’s not knocking any other team that I’ve been on, but just the chemistry — the young guys, the older guys — it is a great mixture, and I’ll just say, ‘Stay tuned’ man. Just stay tuned. Watch us put it together.”

The final part of Perryman’s comment will be the key for Houston, as offseason camaraderie rarely indicates regular-season success.

But, for a team with so much room to improve and a roster capable of much more than years past, fans and the media are starting to pick up on what the Texans might be capable of if they can solve the puzzle and surprise opponents in the coming season.

They will have 17 chances to put the league on notice, and to hear Perryman tell it, success seems likely if the team can continue on their current heading.

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Christian Harris’ ‘God-given ability’ excites Texans coach DeMeco Ryans

Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans is enthused about the “God-given ability” LB Christian Harris brings to the defense.

In the midst of a full-on knock-down-the-walls rebuild the Houston Texans are looking for every single player they have under contract to justify roster spot ahead of the 2023 season. Especially for those who were acquired by the previous regime, the new prove-it culture in Houston under DeMeco Ryans is palpable, and with just a month left to prepare for training camp and the preseason, nothing is certain for any Texan.

One player facing a sink-or-swim season is Christian Harris, who came on strong for Houston after missing the first part of his rookie season in 2023 with a lingering hamstring injury. Ryans told reporters June 14 about the potential he saw in Harris after practice last week, but made it clear that the linebacker’s development ahead of the regular season will decide what kind of role he plays in the Texans’ defense.

“What excites me about Christian is just his God-given ability,” Ryans explained. “Not many linebackers that are [as] fast or explosive as Christian Harris is. What he’s capable of becoming in this league, he’s capable of becoming a really, really great linebacker.

“He just has to continue to improve. I saw it today at practice, it was fun to watch, right, seeing him take another step today. So, it was fun to watch. It’s a progress. It doesn’t happen overnight, but he’s definitely having the right mindset to put the work in to become really good at his craft. I’m excited to see where he is when we start training camp.”

There is no doubt that Harris’ status as a third-round pick will buy him more time to prove himself than others on the roster, and he seems to have made a favorable impression on Ryans during Houston’s offseason program.

Now it seems that the final piece to his long-term success with the Texans will be consistency, which Harris may be able to find in training camp and the preseason without the nagging injury holding him back.

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Shaquill Griffin says Texans’ defense is designed for cornerbacks to create turnovers

Shaquill Griffin detailed how the Houston Texans’ defense is constructed in a way that cornerbacks play a key role in creating turnovers.

Though the Houston Texans’ secondary is highlighted by the younger talent that will take the field at NRG Stadium next season, perhaps their most underrated asset is cornerback Shaquill Griffin who signed with the team as a free agent in the offseason.

Griffin’s veteran presence should help lift his less experienced teammates in 2023, but with the regular season still months away, the function that the cornerback might serve in the Texans’ defense remains unclear. The former Jacksonville Jaguar told reporters about his potential after practice last week about what he expects his role to look like, noting that his primary goal is to create turnovers for DeMeco Ryans’ defense.

“I feel like the main thing he is trying to accomplish with our position, he’s trying to get the corners in a position to really go for that ball,” Griffin said. “I feel like the main thing is the defense we’re able to play, the changes we’re able to do, the help we’re able to get, depending on whatever situation or whatever play-call it is, it gives us the opportunity to really play the ball. The main thing is to create turnovers and get that ball back to our offense, and they put us in a great situation and a great scenario to be able to do that this year.”

For all of the Texans’ faults last season, their secondary managed to intercept 11 passes over the course of their schedule, and with a defensive-minded coach at the helm in 2023, they may be able to exceed that number.

Griffin should play a part in Houston’s effort to exceed its 2022 performance, and with enough playing time, could set career-best marks for ball production in the process.

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System familiarity led LB Denzel Perryman to pick the Texans

Linebacker Denzel Perryman went with the Houston Texans in free agency due to his familiarity with their defensive system.

Familiarity can breed contempt, but for Denzel Perryman, it bred comfort.

The former 2021 Pro Bowler needed a system he recognized as he recovered from labrum surgery in the offseason. The former Las Vegas Raiders linebacker signed with the Houston Texans in late March.

“Like I said, I was coming off shoulder surgery, and that was pretty big for me,” Perryman told reporters after mandatory minicamp June 14. “The opportunity, just being in this defense, this system. I’m going on year nine, and out of nine years, I’ve been in the same system or form of system for like seven years. So, just getting familiar with their terminology. But, it’s the same thing that I’ve been in for the past seven years.”

Perryman spent 2015-20 with the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers. The former 2015 second-round pick signed a free agent contract with the Raiders in 2021 and spent the next two seasons with the Chargers’ AFC West rivals.

As Perryman begins his ninth season with a third different team, the cohesion being formed by the Texans engenders promise.

Said Perryman: “Just how we’re all coming together. Like I said, it’s a new defense, new scheme, new everything for everybody. So, just how we’re all coming together, like you said— communicating — which is big in defense, period.”

Although the Texans finished their offseason workouts emphasizing communication, the intensity must carry over into the start of training camp in late July.

“Still got some work to do, I can say that, but just like I said how we all are coming together,” Perryman said. “We’ve got time. We’ve got training camp, but OTA’s, it’s been a good little camp.”

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Texans LB Christian Harris wants to showcase his talents in new scheme

Houston Texans linebacker Christian Harris seeks to showcase his best attributes in DeMeco Ryans’ scheme.

Christian Harris is tired of losing.

Although the former 2022 third-round linebacker spent just his rookie season with the Houston Texans, the 3-13-1 campaign was a lifetime of defeats, what with playing college football at Alabama.

The concept of what to improve upon in his second year is overwhelming because of how much losing transpired last season.

“Just everything,” Harris told reporters June 13 at mandatory minicamp. “I really just want to win as a team.”

Harris is a man of honesty, and will not withhold his opinion that he brings everything to the defense.

“If I’m doing my part, obviously that’s going to help the team, as much as everybody else,” said Harris. “We just focus on that so we can win.”

The 6-1, 226-pound linebacker did what he could as a rookie with 74 combined tackles, three quarterback hits, six tackles for loss, 1.0 sack, a forced fumble, five pass breakups, and an interception through 12 games, 11 of which he started.

Harris flashed potential in former coach Lovie Smith’s scheme. With new coach DeMeco Ryans’ varying scheme, Harris hopes to release his full potential as a linebacker.

Said Harris: “I think, again, physically it’s not even really too much that. It’s more so playbook and understanding the scheme so I can put myself in position to showcase what I can do. I feel in those moments, for a lot of us on the team, that’s when we’re going to be our best as long as everybody is in their position and know what they’re doing.”

Harris played 712 defensive snaps last season, representing 89% of the snaps for the unit.

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Texans DE Jerry Hughes details how Will Anderson has been impressive

Houston Texans defensive end Jerry Hughes notes an aspect to Will Anderson’s style that can’t be measured conventionally.

The Houston Texans won’t put on pads until the fifth day of training camp, but rookie defensive end Will Anderson showcased his smarts, toughness, and physicality throughout organized team activities and mandatory minicamp.

Defensive end Jerry Hughes, 34, is pleased to be reining a youngster in rather than crafting ways to motivate him.

“That’s something you really love to see early on where you have to pull him back versus encouraging him to kind of be aggressive, trying to get him to use different techniques,” Hughes told reporters June 14 at minicamp. “He’s here early, getting in with all the coaches. That’s what you want to see from a young player, someone who is eager to learn and doing all the right things early on.”

The Texans took Anderson with the No. 3 overall pick from Alabama. The 6-4, 243-pounder terrorized off the edge for the Crimson Tide, earning two Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors. However, it isn’t Anderson’s play that has impressed Hughes throughout offseason workouts.

Said Hughes: “His intelligence. Just how smart he is as a young guy. Not afraid to sit in the front of the classroom, ask questions, be repetitive so he can make sure he understands what the coaches are asking him to go out there and perform and do. I think that’s just key. He has all of the physical tools to go out there and be a freak of nature and wreak havoc for four quarters. But now, when you’re at this level, it’s about mental, how can you attack opponents, how can you keep them guessing what you’re doing.”

Hughes, a former 2010 Indianapolis Colts first-round pick, noted that the best players in the NFL are at a high level, “when people can’t really get a read or beat on what you’re getting ready to do.”

The Texans have not had a player with double-digit sacks since J.J. Watt in 2018 with 16.0. Houston has never had a rookie go over the 10-sack threshold.

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CB Shaquill Griffin ready to thrive in the Texans’ defensive system

Cornerback Shaquill Griffin is ready to play at a high level in the Houston Texans’ defensive scheme led by coach DeMeco Ryans.

It wasn’t long ago that Shaquill Griffin was one of the more coveted corners in the NFL.

After the Seattle Seahawks drafted Griffin in 2017, the third-rounder entered 2021 as one of the better available free agent defensive backs. His time with the late-stage Legion of Boom had seen Griffin blossom into an every-down starter for the Seahawks and he was even selected as a Pro Bowler in 2019. Griffin’s career high three interceptions during the 2020 campaign set him up nicely to cash in on the open market and it didn’t take much time at all.

The then 25-year-old corner signed a three-year, $45 million contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars to kickoff 2021 free agency. His contract was part of a concerted effort by new coach Urban Meyer to turn the team around with rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence and it would also signal his first time as a featured corner.

Unfortunately, Griffin’s tenure was nearly as rocky as the coach that coveted him.

Griffin started 14 games in 2021 but saw career lows in tackles, passes defended, and interceptions. His follow-up campaign in 2022 under new head coach Doug Pederson was then marred by injuries, with Griffin only playing in five games this past season. He was ultimately cut by the Jaguars as a cap casualty.

Now, right back where he started in a position where Griffin needs to prove himself, he saw the new look Houston Texans and the new staff under DeMeco Ryans as a great place to re-write his script.

“Some other teams that kind of showed interest, definitely it was Minnesota,” Griffin told the media in reference to how he chose Houston over other potential suitors. “I talked to Jacksonville again, talked to Washington, talked to a couple other teams, but the only visit I really took was here to Houston, and then once I got here, I felt the energy.

“Kind of felt like I was going to be at home here. I love the system they were already running, I was already familiar with the system that they had. So, I kind of based my decision off something that I knew I would be able to get in and start and move fast right away.”

Griffin’s choice of Houston is not insignificant. Minnesota and Jacksonville are considered high-end playoff contenders in their respective conferences entering the 2023 season. Washington lacks the perimeter corner talent that the Texans currently have between second-year corner Derek Stingley and veteran Steven Nelson.

He’s not the first veteran to highlight the excitement of the Texans’ new system under Ryans. Ryans piloted the league’s best defense in San Francisco last season, winning AP Assistant Coach of the Year, and his corners were some of the major beneficiaries under the scheme. Under Ryans, Griffin will be allowed to be more physical and the scheme should highlight the strengths that made him a Pro Bowl caliber player previously in Seattle.

In San Francisco, Ryans ran predominantly Cover 3, the same coverage scheme Griffin excelled under in Seattle, and blended it with Cover 6 concepts made popular by Vic Fangio to create one of the league’s most difficult defensive systems to prepare for. That unique twist, while still being very familiar to the Seattle defense, is something Griffin has quickly come to enjoy since arriving in Houston.

“I feel like the change-up excites me the most,” Griffin said. “I feel like we’ve got a lot of stuff in our bag to be able to change things up, especially to be able to adapt to any situation. But, number one would be, being in Seattle, I’m definitely familiar with that whole process on how they run their system. So, that kind of makes a lot of things in adjusting really easy for me. So, I love that part.”

The defensive secondary will be one of the strengths of the 2023 Texans. Griffin’s presence alongside Stingley, Nelson and great slot corners like Desmond King and Tavierre Thomas should allow for phenomenal creativity in the secondary. Safeties Jalen Pitre and Jimmie Ward will be scheme interchangeable and can likely make the picture even more difficult for offenses.

Griffin will look to compete for the starting job opposite Stingley and can provide key depth during the season at a position group that struggled to stay healthy during the 2022 campaign. A return to Pro Bowl caliber play could spark a defensive resurgence under Ryans much faster than is expected nationally.

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Texans coach DeMeco Ryans says stopping the run is a mindset

Houston Texans coach DeMeco Ryans believes that in order to stop the run, it starts with the mindset.

Stopping the run has been a big problem for the Houston Texans the past two seasons with consistent bottom-10 finishes in both yards per game and yards per carry.

Last season featured Houston finishing worst in the NFL with 170.2 rushing yards surrendered per game. The Texans were fourth-worst in the league at 5.1 yards per carry surrendered.

Rookie coach DeMeco Ryans won’t be avoiding the problem. One of Ryans’ chief tenets is to ensure the opposition can’t have their way on the ground.

“My philosophy on stopping the run is you have to,” Ryans said June 14 after mandatory minicamp. “You have to do everything possible to stop the run — that’s the first thing first. That’s the goal for our defense — make teams one-dimensional, make them have to drop back and pass the ball.”

Ryans spent the past two seasons as the San Francisco 49ers’ defensive coordinator. The 49ers were tied with the Tennessee Titans for the lowest yards per carry surrendered last season with 3.4, and had the second-lowest rushing yards per game surrendered with 77.7.

Although there were limitations as to how much on-field work the defense could get in related to stopping the run, Ryans acknowledged the proper defense began with mindset; they didn’t need a relaxation in the collective bargaining agreement to allow tackling to instill the significance of run defense.

Said Ryans: “In these OTAs and minicamp, you can’t be as physical as we would like to be when it comes to stopping the run just because of the nature of where we are with shorts and helmets — just can’t be as physical as possible. Stopping the run is going to start with the mindset, it’s going to be the mindset of being the most physical team and playing on the other side of the line of scrimmage.”

If the Texans are able to get their run defense out of the basement, it should go a long ways towards getting the team as a whole out of the rebuild.

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Texans LB Christian Harris sees similarities with DE Will Anderson

Houston Texans linebacker Christian Harris sees comparable traits between himself and rookie defensive end Will Anderson.

Christian Harris was there for the Will Anderson origin story at Alabama.

The former Baton Rouge U-High linebacker had completed his first season with the Crimson Tide, starting 12 of 13 games despite never having played the position. Harris earned a spot on the All-Southeastern Conference freshman team.

Alabama recruited Anderson from Hampton Dutchdown in Georgia, and the freshman outside linebacker showcased his potential with 7.0 sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss en route to winning the College Football Playoff national championship.

“I really noticed this since day one at Alabama,” Harris told reporters June 13 at Houston Texans mandatory minicamp. “He is just a dog and he cares. I think we have those similarities.”

The Crimson Tide weren’t able to run it back in their title defense as Georgia wrested control in the 2021 national final. Nevertheless Harris was a key part with 80 combined tackles, 5.5 sacks, 11.5 tackles for loss, three pass breakups, and two forced fumbles through 15 games. The Texans took Harris in Round 3 of the 2022 NFL draft.

“I think it can take you a long way,” said Harris. “I mean, that’s really all I got for that.”

Anderson’s 2021 campaign was his best statistically as he collected 17.5 sacks, 31 tackles for loss, 101 combined tackles, and three pass breakups. However, Anderson’s reputation as a disruptor on the edge carried him through the 2022 season and the pre-draft process.

Houston couldn’t pass up Anderson at No. 3 overall.

With Harris and Anderson reunited on Kirby Drive, the Texans are anticipating the dog to come out in both of them.

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